Powerful Pink

Delila's Sweater looks a bit different today. The prior model was double stranded and, well, stiff. So this is the new and improved version and it's really growing on me.

• Early mods: double stranding on US 10 1/2 needles in [k1, p1] rib. I could have gone up in needle size for more drape but this method was gobbling up yarn and I would have had to buy more to finish 

• New mods: alternating bright and light pink every 2 rows in garter stitch on US 8 needles. Because pattern was written for k1, p1 the garter stitch spreads out and is giving more coverage without needing to alter number of stitches given for size Large.
• I'm at approx 13" now, about 10" more to go before dividing for neck and working straps.
  

 

We had a busy day around here, we had two friends over today so there was lots of games and giggles. They were being particularly cute at one point so I grabbed my camera, turned it on and it promptly turned itself back off! So no photos of girls having fun...I was almost scrambling to get a picture up for today until I rubbed my last two awake brain cells together and borrowed from another device while I figure out where my camera's rechargeable batteries have found a new home. [I've been using a set of lithium batteries since Jack's delivery day - they almost made it a year!]

It was fitting that I had a pink project to share today as my uncle just shared a YouTube video that deserves further sharing:

Please spread this video as you feel moved, it's for a good cause - and entertaining :)

Love,

Jen & fam

I can do this.

On the next to last day of December last year, Julie launched her 2010 project. Pick 12 rooms/areas in your home to work on each month. I was intrigued, but then decided to work on our clutter in general first and I'll get to decorating eventually. Then Theresa popped up too (of course, they are friends) and I really cannot ignore them both because I was already thinking that now all the baby making is done, it's time we make this place more ours.

So here are my 12 rooms/areas (in no particular order - I too will follow the "what do I want to work on this month" order):

1. Entry
2. Kitchen
3. Dining Room
4. Living Room
5. Playroom (den)
6. Kid's Bathroom
7. Kid's Room
8. Our Bedroom
9. Our Bathroom
10. Laundry
11. Craft area
12. Backyard

So January 2010 is the month of Operation Kitchen.

(baby gate up to keep kiddos out until the floor is finished)

We did a lot of work here last August with the cabinet refacing, new counter/sink, and paint. Last night John & I laid most of the new laminate flooring & last week we bought a kitchen cart so I can get everything - except the knife rack & coffee maker - off the counters. The things left are to decide on the shelf going up, I want something new to hold my cooking spoons, spatulas, etc., and perhaps I'll do one seasonal towel a month this year just to perk things up a bit.

I'm really excited about finally making our house a home!

Day 3 of 365

He saw his momma & nothing was going to stop him.

Even if the flash took too long to warm up...

A boy needs his momma.

Bon Appetit!

Baby, it's cold outside today! I am so thankful John put up that storm door - I cannot believe how much money we've likely flushed under that door up until a few months ago...

So I'm thankful to be inside.

Cozy on my couch, knitting and watching Julie & Julia.

On my lap you spy my mom's dog's new sweater in progress (my mom and sister let me do Christmas late for them because they love me). I'd love to tell you more about it, but a certain little boy is on my lap trying to start a competition for who is the best typist and

Jessa says it's time to read stories for bedtime!

Love,
Jen & Co.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

...sometimes it's hard to get everyone on the same plan...

Gracie's excited school is almost back in session

Jessa's 3 yrs old now!

and Jack's excited that the floor in the kitchen is about to be replaced!

And thus we launch my attempt to blog every day this year. Happy New Year ALL, while 2009 certainly had some highlights...I'm glad it's behind us. Here's to a better 2010!

Love,

Jen and family

Little Bird

A cozy little nest

A precious little egg

A sweet little bird

with a trick up his sleeve

The reversible toys in Itty Bitty Toys are what made this book irresistable to me. This was really fun to make but entering "get knitted gifts done now" season. So I see many of these popping up next year ;)

Project details on Ravelry.

Turkeys

As anyone who spends time around children knows, we have our ups and downs by the day/minute/hour.

This morning at Borders another shopper had to come around and see Jessa because she was just melting this woman's heart with her cuteness as Jessa was conversing with me about what a good job she was doing in moving the beads around on the bead play-thingy (yes, that's the formal name for it).

Yesterday at her well-check she wasnt done playing in the waiting room so we had to really coax her to follow us. Which she eventually grudgingly did with her arms crossed and stomping and a frown so big on her face that the nurse called all the other nurses out as we walked by to see her pouty face. I shared with the nurse that John and I have had many moments in parenting her where we have had a very hard time holding back the laughter until we've made it clear she needs to follow the rules and were able to escape to laugh out of sight.

Jessa is my extreme child, nearly everything she does is done with her whole heart and I love her for that.

A few hours ago, the girls were arguing about one thing after another and I was about to snap. Thankfully as I was counting backwards one more time "Turkeys!" popped into my mind. So I grabbed some paper and a marker and told Gracie to get all the other coloring stuff. And we had a lovely afternoon of coloring :)

Gracie's Turkey

Jessa's Turkey

Jessa is not a huge fan of coloring books or coloring things in she is definitely a free-form artist:

This one is [Auntie] "Angela" (I love the heart that snuck into her doodle - on the right)

And this one is "Mommy and Daddy"

I think she used the grey because that was the one I used to trace their hands plus it was the only dual tipped marker so that makes it extra special. She had one other that was all pink called "Rainbow" and another that was much more grey than the two above and she said it was "the sky" - yes, November skies in IL are grey...

Itty Bitty Toys joined my library today and it has got to be one of the most fun books I've bought. Gracie wants one of everything. My first project is going to be the reversible Egg to Bluebird and a Little Nest, Too (Ravelry link)

The beginning of the egg.

And now my turkeys say:

"zzzzz" coloring is exhausting!

Our kitchen makeover (Late Aug 2009)

Our Condo was built in 1978 and our kitchen was in need of a makeover.

So we called in Sears and decided to replace the doors and resurface the cabinet bases with a Cherry finish.

The sink cabinet was pretty bad, so they built us a new one.

In the background you can see a shorter cabinet that was built so we could raise the microwave a few inches.

 In the foreground we have the 1970's spindles that serve no function other than to make our kitchen feel more closed in.

Goodbye spindles!!!

Hello countertops (Corian in Pepper Ivory) and breakfast bar!

My clowns having their first meal at our new breakfast bar - they eat nearly every meal here now.

And now we have paint. We used a Wagner Paint Mate Plus for the big spaces and a combination of mini-roller and paint brush for detail and smaller spaces. While the Paint Mate was nice in that I didnt have to repeatedly get more paint on the roller - it was heavy (duh - it had a few gallons of paint in it). I made many more oopsies on the ceiling than I did later when I painted the soffit with the mini roller.

The wall color is Victorian Falls and the soffit is Stonehenge Griege, both by Dutch Boy.

We got a free upgrade to an awesome sink and I'm in love with this screw in drain catcher - you screw it in just a bit to keep it in place and it'll catch all the big stuff (we dont have a garbage disposal, this is a scrape your plate first house) and if you screw it in all the way when you want a sink full of water. This is where Jack gets most of his baths, but I cant share photographic evidence since my hands are rather full then...

and my final favorite thing in my new kitchen is this tilt drawer so I can hide (and always find) my sponge!

Hope you enjoyed our kitchen makeover adventure!

If you want to see more the full album is here.

More knitting and kiddo adventures tomorrow :)

Trick or Treat!

Jack was our little Yoda Baby for Halloween this year

Baby Yoda Sweater & Felted Baby Yoda Hat project details on Ravelry

All the Jedi's were happy Master Yoda made it :)

Jessa was a Fairy Princess

Gracie was a Fairy Princess too (their choice).

Jessa is wondering why we're not getting candy yet...

And this is what happens when big sisters share with their baby brother

He was only upset because I took the chocolate away...

He doesnt stay upset for long!

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween too!!!

Thankful

This little guy joined us late February this year (2009). He's been my best excuse ever for blog silence & if anyone is still following...thanks for keeping me in your feed/checking in again :)
I've been knitting quite a bit lately & am excited to get blogging again - I'm joining the party a few days late but I'm going to attempt a Blog-vember & we'll get all caught up.
We've had a rather cold year here in Chicagoland, so I've been cranking out head & hand coverings lately. I gotta say I am loving fingerless mitts for the girls - they actually keep their hands rather warm & no fiddling with getting fingers in the holes & the girls keep them on because they can still use their hands! Victory!! Of course we'll have to step up the coverage soon, but these will remain a good layer.
A Calorimetry just jumped off my needles in time for Trick-or-Treating with the kiddos. And was even recognized while we were out! That was fun :) I love being able to keep my hair up and my ears are still warm w/out the unsightly pony/bun hump in the back of my hat.

Tune in tomorrow for my Halloween catch up post - all the kiddos wore knit accents to their costumes & we all had fun!